Chapter Fifteen

"Delinda, would you please give your father and I some time alone?"

Delinda looked at her mother in bed and then at her father who nodded. Rising to her feet, she walked over and kissed her mother's cheek and then went over and hugged her father. "I'm going to see if Danny can't take me to get a drink."

Ed nodded quietly, "Good idea. Bring me a Coke, would you please?"

Delinda nodded and smiled softly, her voice quiet, "Of course, Daddy."

That said, the blonde left the room and Ed looked at his wife, his eyes questioning her. Leaning forward, he took her hand and Jillian squeezed it, softly, "I understand that you are becoming closer with Sam Marquez."

Ed blinked in astonishment, "What makes you say that?"

"Delinda said you were helping Samantha out with a problem at work and it went beyond the call of a boss' duty."

Ed sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, "Remind me to gag our daughter."

His wife gave him a soft smile, "I think it's wonderful, Eddie. She's a wonderful girl. She's smart, funny and very beautiful."

Her husband nodded quietly in agreement, wondering where she was going with all of this. He sighed and looked at her, softly, "Why are you talking as if the doctor is hours away from signing your death certificate, Jillian?"

Jillian looked at her husband, her piercing blue eyes staring straight at him, "Because I want to know that everything will be taken care of when I ask you to do something for me."

He looked at her, softly, "What do you want me to do?"

Jillian sighed softly as she reached for her husband's hand, softly, "I want you to end my suffering. I'm in pain, Ed, and the pain is only going to get worse. I know you know people, Ed. Please, I want you to help me end my life on a positive note, and I want it to end in Hawaii. With my husband and daughter at my side."

Ed looked at her as his jaw dropped in shock.

Samantha sighed as she reached a payphone and dropped some coins in and dialed a number. Twisting the cord around her finger she waited for an answer.

"Security, this is Cannon."

Sam dropped the cord, "Hey Mike, it's Sam."

Mike smiled as he sat up, "Heya, Sam. Ed and Danny aren't around right now."

Sam sighed softly, "Yeah, I know, they are here. Listen, you need to know something. Ed's wife was just diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. It's very serious."

Mike closed his eyes and sighed, softly, "Damn..."

The woman on the other end nodded, "Yeah."

Mike glanced back towards Ed's office. "I just laid Jasmine down on Ed's couch, but I can probably have Mitch keep an eye on her for when she wakes up."

"No, no. I'm going to head back and pick her up now. When I get there I'll give you all the info and you can come here if you want."

Mike nodded quietly, "Yeah, yeah, that sounds good. I'll see you in a few minutes."

Sam nodded and hung the phone up and sighed. Grabbing her keys from her purse, she headed out of the hospital and towards her car.

"You haven't touched your strawberry cheesecake."

Delinda glanced down at the aforementioned dessert and poked her fork into it and sighed. "I'm sorry, Danny, I guess I'm just not in the mood for eating right now."

Danny nodded quietly. He had taken her down to the cafeteria for a snack and then she wanted to eat it out on the mezzanine overlooking a lush indoor garden.

"I just... I just can't wrap my brain around the fact that mom may not be around this time next year."

Danny sighed quietly as he reached for her hand, "I know, Delinda. I had a hard time accepting that too. You know... If you need anything, I'm here. You know that, right?"

Delinda nodded quietly as her eyes welled up with tears. Pushing the plate back, she rested her head on the table and sobbed. Danny stood up and moved over next to her and rubbed her back silently, leaning down to sprinkle kisses along her hair.

"I'm sorry, you want to do what?"

Jillian quietly sighed as he watched the vein in her husband's forehead throb angrily. "Ed, I know, but I don't want to go through what the doctors have told me would happen."

"Jill..." He sighed as his voice trailed off. Pacing the room repeatedly, he stopped and looked at her, softly, "You are asking me to kill you."

"No, Ed," she started, "I'm asking you to spare me from what will happen. I'm not going to beat this anyway."

"And what do I say to our daughter, huh?" he asked. "What do I tell Delinda when she asks me why I'm putting something in her mother's IV?"

Jillian sighed softly as she looked away from her husband, her voice was quiet, "You tell her that you are following her mother's last wishes. That she'd rather close her eyes peacefully and go that way than live in agony."

Ed turned his body and his eyes focused out the window. From where he was standing, his Hummer stood out plainly. He sighed as he closed his eyes. Allowing a single tear to fall, he turned and looked at her, whispering softly, "What do I tell Delinda? She would never forgive me."

His wife swallowed hard and nodded, sighing deeply. "I'm going to write a letter and give it to you, Ed. In it will explain everything to Delinda. Pack it when you pack for Hawaii and give it to her afterwards. But I don't want Delinda there in the house when it happens. Send her off on an errand or something."

Walking back towards the bed, Ed sat down on the foot and looked at her, his voice was barely above a whisper, "I'll do it for you, baby." Reaching out, he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, "It will kill me, and I'll never forgive myself for it, but I'll do it for you."

Jillian closed her eyes as her tears fell. She nodded wordlessly as she sat up and hugged him tightly, whispering a barely audible, "Thank you."